Acronis True Image 2015 review: Easy to use, at last

Jon L. Jacobi |
Oct. 3, 2014

A comprehensive backup solution with local imaging, file and folder backup, online backup and syncing data across all your devices. Now with a friendly interface.

True Image long ago added file and folder backup, though it still won't perform plain file-copy, and a couple of iterations ago the company implemented an online backup/file service. You can view files stored online via the local client or a Web portal, so you can recover from anywhere to anywhere. And thanks to Acronis's iOS and Android apps, you can also sync your important data across all your PCs and devices. Syncing devices requires an online storage subscription, which is not included with every version.

The cornucopia of features Acronis has implemented over the years are still there: email notifications, external program execution before and after backups, compression, encryption, splitting, and support for removable and optical media. One worthy recent addition is the Backup Reserve Copy, which basically duplicates the backup in a secondary location. It's not as versatile as being able to back up concurrently to multiple destinations, but it's the next best thing.

Acronis True Image 2015 also retains the ability to create recovery media, aka boot discs/disks in either USB or optical disc format. True Image also retains the ability to create a hidden recovery partition on your hard drive (or SSD) such as those found on big-name vendor PCs and laptops.

True Image 2015 is sold in several flavors. Personal is $49.95 for use on a single PC, and $79.95 for use on three (PC or Mac). The Unlimited versions with uncapped online storage are $99.95 for a single computer, and $169.95 for three, per annum. That's a bit pricey, but it does include the program, updates, device syncing, and online storage with web access to your files. The local program is, of course, yours to keep and will continue to function even if you drop the online storage option.

Which brings me to my wish list: it would be nice if True Image 2015 supported non-Acronis online destinations, such as OneDrive, Dropbox, Glacier, et al. Yes, that's a lot to ask of a company that's competing in the same market, but I have become addicted to this feature while using SyncBack Pro from 2BrightSparks.

Bugs and wish list aside, True Image is as good as it gets when it comes to imaging backup, and it's darn close to it for file and folder backup. Nothing has changed in that regard, and now it's now easy to use. Wonders never cease.

Note: My star rating is based on unresolved bugs and issues in the Windows version at review time and will be revisited when those problems have been addressed. Feature-wise, the product would rate 4 stars.